Techniques and devices for detecting a wide variety of analytes in fluids such as vapors, gases and liquids are well known. Such devices generally comprise an array of sensors that in the presence of an analyte produce a unique output signature. Using pattern recognition algorithms, the output signature, such as an electrical response, can be correlated and compared to the known output signature of a particular analyte or mixture of substances. By comparing the unknown signature with the stored or known signatures, the analyte can be detected, identified and quantified. Examples of such detection devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,401(by Lewis et al. and assigned to California Institute of Technology); U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,070 (by Gelperin and assigned to NCR Corporation); U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,326 (by Mottram et al. and assigned to British Technology Group Limited); U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,833 (by Lewis et al. and assigned to California Institute of Technology); U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,701 (by Payne et al. and assigned to Aromascan PLC); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,398 (by Lewis et al. and assigned to California Institute of Technology), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Concurrent with the development of better detection techniques for detecting analytes, there is an emerging need to develop methods and devices to efficiently transmit the collected sensory data for swift analysis. Under some prior customary practices, the sensory data were first captured and then physically transported back to a laboratory or some other designated facility for subsequent analysis. Very often, analyses on these data would not be performed until a substantial period of time had elapsed and consequently their results would not be available for hours, days or even weeks.
Timely transmission and analysis of sensory data for detected analytes have tremendous applications in a variety of areas. There are many instances where it is desirable to obtain results on the analysis of the sensory data in a timely manner. For example, in a hospital/medical environment, it would be greatly beneficial if data collected from a patient can be transmitted quickly to a laboratory to determine the cause of the patient's ailments thereby allowing the doctors to prescribe the necessary treatment without any undue delay. In a similar example, medical and other related data from home monitoring devices can be collected and transmitted swiftly to the appropriate hospitals and/or authorities to allow them to provide better response to home emergencies. In another example, in environments where the presence of certain substances can potentially lead to dangerous conditions, such as a gas leak in a foundry or a home, the swift transmission of sensory data for analysis can very well preempt an impending disaster. Clearly, there are many other situations which one could think of where the efficient transmission of sensory data will generate tremendous benefits. Hence, it would be desirable and beneficial to provide a system that is capable of timely transmitting sensory data for analysis.
In addition to the need to have timely transmission of sensory data, there is a need to provide easy access to the collective data compiled for the known analytes. The results of any detection analysis are only as good as the data which are available for comparison. At the present time, various analytes have been identified and data therefor have been compiled and stored all over the world. Perhaps, due to the voluminous amount of data that are available, these data are generally not centralized in any one particular repository but are instead separately stored at different facilities. The segregation of these data, therefore, renders a complete and accurate analysis more difficult. Hence, it would be desirable to have a system that is capable of providing better access to various data repositories thereby allowing more accurate analyses to be performed. The present invention remedies these shortcomings by providing a system of transmitting, storing and retrieving sensory information.